Coin operated switch



Oct. 28, 194i. E. G. HENRY GOIN OPERATED SWITCH Filed Nov.v l, 1940Jar."

Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN OPERATED SVTCIAEarle G. Henry, Chicago, Ill., assgnor to Buckley Music` System, Inc., acorporation of Illinois l 1-0 Claims.

There are many' coin-controlledsystems in which the depositing of a coinor token causes a switch to bel closed to initiate the operation of thesystem. Such switches are" necessarily" small; when closed, they shouldroffer little resista-nce' to the passage of current; the areas in whichcontacts are made between the switch elements must be kept clean; theyshould be so sensitive that the falling coin or token will operate themwith certainty, providing the necessary pressure between the contactfaces and insuring the rubbing action that serves to keep such facesclean; they should be rugged in the sense that after an adjustment hasonce been made, it will beA preserved indenitely; and it should be asimple and easy matter' to adjust. them. The object of the presentinvention is to produce an inexpensive switchV which shall' possess,among others, all of the above-mentioned desirable characteristics andadvantages.

In carrying out my invention, the parts that must carry the electriccurrent are composed of materials that are good conductors ofelectricity, while the spring action is obtained from springs composedof materials best suited for that purpose. Thereby, as. long as a springcan function as such, there need be no upsetting, of the ad'- justmentof the actualv switch elements. due to deterioration in the spring.

Some coin operated switches are open' to the objection that a jarring ofthe box in which they are mounted frequently results in the closing of aswitch even though no coin has been deposited. A further object of thepresent invention is to produce a light, sensitive coin-operated switchthat cannot be closed by simply jarring its support.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterizedwill hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but,for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects andadvantages, reference may be had to the following detailed descriptiontaken. in connection with the accompanying. drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the discharge end of a coin chuteand one of my improved switches mounted in operative relation thereto;Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figl, the coiled spring beingomitted; and Fig. 3 is a section, on somewhat larger scale, on line 3-3of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, I represents asmall Slab of tough insulatingmaterial having near the lower end" thereof two parallel contact pieces2v and 3y projecting forwardly therefrom; these contact piecesbeing inthe form of pins* spaced apart a short' distance in the lateraldirection and one being positioned somewhat higher up on' the supportthan is` the other. TheseY pins project rearwardly through the support',their rear ends constituting terminalsl to which are connectedconductors 4 forming part of the circuit to be closed by thel switch.

Cooperatingl with the stationaryl contacts'is a swtch lever which, inits'simplest form, may consistV of a thin flat bar of metalY that is agood conductor bent into an L shapev so asJ tov provide a long* arm5ith`at extends more or less horizontally underneath both ofthe pins 2vand 3', together with a short, upwardly-extending arm 6 that riseskpast' that side of the pin 2 which' is most remote from the pin 3'.Normally' the pin 2 rests in the angle between the arms 5` and lA andserves asy aL fulcrum on which the lever may rock. The' lever is'` alsoprovided: with what may be termed' an operating element' orhandle, whichmay beI a part of the samel bar that constitutes the lever proper; Thus,in the arrangement shown, the bar is made long, enough so that thematerial thatv is left after forming the short arm 6 of the lever isbent laterally, in the opposite direction from and parallel to the arm5, asindicated at 1.

InA use; the switch is intended tobe mounted upon or beside" a coin`chute such' as is conventionally illustrated at 8, with` the part llying directly below the chute so as toN be in the path of a coindropping downfrom the chute. The lower end' of the chute may thereforeserve as a stop to limit the upward movement of the member 1 of theswitch; The movable switch member is held4 in its idle position, drawnup against the pin 2 so that the latter is seated in theV angle betweenthe arms 6 and I and with the free end ofthe operating armv T engagedwith the lower endo'f the coin chutegby a light coiled tension spring 9.One end of this spring is hookedl through a holeor holes at the junctureof the arrrr 6' with the'operating element '1, while the other end issecured to a screw Ill projecting forwardly from the supporting slab I.The screw I0; is so placed that the spring 9 extends upwardly/andlaterally across the pins 2v and 3 and Well beyond'the latter, so thatthe pull. of the spring isk exerted in a diagonal direction serving todraw the lever tightly against the pin 2` and to rock the lever,whenever it is free to do so, into the positionshown in full lines inFigs. 1 and 3.

The arm 5 has on the upper side a small at button II of substantialdiameter for making contact with the pin 3. By reason of the fact thatthe pin is placed higher up on the support than is the pin 2, the buttonI lies well below the pin 3 when the parts are in their normalpositions. In other words, the switch is normally open. However, when acoin descends through the chute and strikes the operating arm 'I nearits free end, the w-eight thereof forces this end of the arm down andcauses the switch lever to rock in the counter-clockwise direction, asviewed in Fig. 3, upon the pin 2. As the operating member of the switchmoves down under the weight of the coin, such as indicated in dottedlines at A in Fig. 3, the button II is swung up until it engages withthe under side of the pin 3. This contact takes place before the coinhas cleared the lower end of the coin chute sufficiently to permit it toroll off the switch handle or operating member. f

Therefore, the handle end of the lever must travel down still fartherbefore it can become free of the coin. Such further downward movementtakes place as a rocking movement on the pin 3 as a fulcrum, whereas thepreceding portion of the downward movement consisted of a rockingmovement upon the pin 2 as a fulcrum. The spring 9 at all times holdsthe upright arm B of the switch lever against the pin 2 so that, whilethe lever is rocking on the pin 3, the switch arm 6 is sliding downwardin contact with the pin 2; this sliding movement being accompanied by arubbing action that keeps the cooperating contact surfaces on the pin 2and switch arm 6 bright and clean. The dotted line position of theswitch lever in Fig. 3 illustrates it as having begun its secondaryrocking movement, the arm 5 now standing clear of the pin 2 which isengaged only by the arm 6. A still further downward movement results ina bodily sliding movement of the button I I across the under side of thepin 3, so that the cooperating contact faces on these two elements arecaused to rub against each other and are thus kept clean. It will beseen that as soon as the coin rolls off the end of the switch-operatingarm, the spring returns the lever to the position shown in full lines inFigs. 1 and 3, quickly breaking the circuit. It will further be seenthat the switch lever at all times engages the pin 2, so that theinterruption of the circuit occurs between the pin 3 and the lever. Sucharcing as occurs upon opening the circuit is between the pin 3 and thebutton II, so that the lever itself is not caused to deteriorate becauseof arcing. The spring itself neither carries current nor is affected byarcing upon the opening of the switch. Therefore, a properly made springlasts indenitely; and it can be properly made because the materialtherefor is chosen for its good qualities as a spring material and notfor its conducting quantities or any other purpose. Because of thesethings the calibation of the spring is not apt to change over aconsiderable period of time, so that no further attention need be paidto it after it has initially been properly adjusted. In any event,should adjustment be necessary later, this can conveniently beaccomplished.

I prefer to provide also a stop to limit the downward movement of thelever. In the arrangement shown, there is a stationary pin projectingforwardly from the supporting member I below the base end of theoperating arm T. Before the lever can be swung down far enough to causeany damage or unnecessarily stress any of the parts, the arm 'I strikesthe pin I2 and prevents further downward movement. I also utilize thestop pin I2 to prevent the switch lever from sliding off the pin 2lengthwise of the latter. This is accomplished by providing the pin I2with a thin at head I4 of sufficient diameter to overlap the switchlever at the juncture of the arms 5 and 6 of the latter. The distancefrom the inner face of the head I4 and the front face of the supportingslab I is a little greater than the Width of the bar material from whichthe switch lever is made, thereby providing sufficient clearance toavoid a binding action on the lever during the operation thereof.

The operating arm 1 of the switch is provided at its free end with a padI5 of soft rubber, or other suitable material that is a non-conductor ofelectricity, upon which the coin may drop, thereby preventing groundingof the switch lever through the coin and coin chute,

In order to prevent the closing of the switch through a jarring action,which might be occasioned by striking the coin box if fastened to a wallor counter, or by shaking it or slamming it down on the counter if it beunfastened, I connect; the spring to the switch lever device at aboutthe center of gravity of the latter. Then, if any movement of the switchlever is brought about by a jarring action, the arms 5 and I will travelthrough equal distances, the button Il receding from the pin 3 insteadof approaching it to complete the circuit. When the arm 5 is short, itmay be provided with a little counter-weight I6 to offset the greaterweight of the longer or heavier arm 1.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a singlepreferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to theexact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend tocover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of myinvention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A switch comprising a stationary Contact pin and a stationary contactpiece spaced apart from the pin, a switch lever extending past one sideof the pin and toward said contact piece for engagement with the latter,said lever having a bearing seat for the pin to enable it to haverocking and sliding movements in a single plane on said pin, and a lightspring tending yieldingly to hold the lever against the pin and out ofengagement with said contact piece.

2. A switch comprising a stationary contact pin and a stationary contactpiece spaced apart from the pin, a switch lever extending past one sideof the pin and toward said Contact piece for engagement with the latter,said lever having a bearing seat for the pin to enable it to haverocking and sliding movements in a single plane on said pin, and a lightspring tending yieldingly to hold the lever against the pin and out ofengagement with said contact piece, said bearing seat lying at asubstantial distance from each end of the lever to divide it into twoarms one of which serves to bridge the gap between the pin and thecontact piece while the other is adapted to serve as a switch handle.

3. A switch comprising a stationary horizontal contact pin and astationary contact piece spaced apart from each other in the horizontaldirection, a switch lever extending at one end underneath said pin andtoward the contact piece for engagement with the latter, the leverhaving thereon a bearing seat for the pin to enable it t0 slide up anddown on and rock upon the pin, a light tension spring tending constantlyto hold the lever against the pin and in such angular position as to beout of engagement with said contact piece, and stops for engagement withthe other end of the lever to limit the rocking movements thereof.

4. A switch comprising a stationary horizontal contact pin and astationary contact piece spaced apart from each other in the horizontaldirection, an L-shaped switch lever having one arm extending underneathsaid pin and toward the contact piece for engagement with the latter andthe other arm extending upwardly past the pin on the side farthest awayfrom the said contact piece, a light tension spring tending constantlyto hold the lever with the pin seated in the angle thereof and in suchangular position as to be out of engagement with said contact piece, andan operating element extending laterally from the upper end of theupright arm of the lever in the opposite direction from the other arm.

5. A switch comprising a stationary horizontal contact pin and astationary contact piece spaced apart from each other in the horizontaldirection, an L-shaped switch lever having one arm extending underneathsaid pin and toward the contact piece for engagement with the latter,and the other arm extending upwardly past the pin on the side farthestaway from the said conpiece, an operating element extending laterallyfrom the upper end of the upright arm of the lever in the oppositedirection from the other arm, and stops to limit the rocking movementsof the lever.

6. A switch comprising a stationary contact pin and a stationary contactpiece spaced apart from the pin, a switch lever extending past one sideof the pin and toward said contact piece for engagement with the latter,said lever having a bearing seat for the pin at a point remote from theends thereof to enable it to have rocking and sliding movements in asingle plane on said pin, and a light spring connected to the lever atthe center of gravity thereof and tending yieldingly to hold the leveragainst the pin and out of engagement with said contact piece.

7. A switch comprising a stationary contact pin and a stationary contactpiece spaced apart from the pin, a switch lever extending past one sideof the pin and toward said contact piece for engagement with the latter,said lever having a bearing seat for the pin to enable it to haverocking and sliding movements in a single plane on said pin and also onthe contact piece, and a light spring tending yieldingly to hold thelever against the pin and out of engagement with said contact piece.

8. A switch comprising a stationary horizontal contact pin and astationary contact piece spaced apart from each other in the horizontaldirection, a switch lever extending at one end underneath said pin andtoward the contact piece for engagement with the latter, the leverhaving at a point remote from both ends thereof a bearing seat for thepin to enable it to slide up and down on and rock upon the pin, a lighttension spring connected to the lever at the center of gravity of thelatter and tending constantly to hold it against the pin and in suchangular position as to be out of engagement with said contact piece, andstops for engagement with the other end of the lever to limit therocking movements thereof.

9. A switch comprising a stationary horizontal contact pin and astationary contact piece spaced apart from the pin, a switch leverextending under the pin and toward said contact piece for engagementwith the latter, said lever having be tween the ends thereof a bearingseat for the pin to enable it to have rocking and sliding movements in asingle plane on saidpin and also on the Contact piece, and a lightspring connected to the lever at the center of gravity thereof andtending yieldingly to hold the lever against the pin and out ofengagement with said contact piece, said bearing seat lying at about thecenter of gravity of the lever to divi-de it into two arms one of whichserves to bridge the gap between the pin in the contact piece while theother is adapted to be forced down by a coin or token placed thereon andthus close the switch.

l0. A switch comprising a horizontal stationary contact pin and astationary contact piece spaced apart from the pin, a switch leverextending under the pin and toward said contact piece for engagementwith the latter, said lever having a bearing seat for the pin to enableit to have rocking and sliding movements in a single plane on said pinand also on said contact piece, said bearing seat lying at a substantialdistance from each end of the lever to divide it into two arms one ofwhich serves to bridge the gap between the pin in the contact piecewhile the other is adapted to serve as a switch handle; a light coiledspring exerting on the lever, at a point on the lever that is on theopposite side of the said seat from that on which the contact piece islocated, a pull that is upward and laterally toward said contact piece;and a stop to arrest the upward movement of the handle when it is abouthorizontal.

EARLE G. HENRY.

